Level winder for cable drum



March 17, 1942. E. R. BARRETT 2,276,916

LEVEL WINDER FCR CABLE DRUM (HYDRAULIC) Filed Jan. 27, 1941 2 sheets-$11951 1 ll l! '1 J'i 4m M March 17, 1942. E. R. BARRETT LEVEL WINDER FOR CABLE DRUM (HYDRAULIC) Filed Jan. 27, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ZW4r'a7 Rarv'e'.

Y M, oRNEY6- action in that they diameters and Patented Mar. 17, 1942 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:I

LEVEL WINDER FOR CABLE DRUM (HYDRAULIC) Edward R. Barrett, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Gar Wood Industries,

corporation f Michiga Inc., Detroit, Mich., a n

. Application January 27, 1941, Serial No. 376,042

7 Claims.

Ven by a fluid motor which receives its power from a pump mounted on and driven by the winch drive shaft.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved Winder of the typementioned in which the speed of the cable guide is regulated so as to compensate for different cable different drum diameters. Another object of the invention is to provide adjustable means for regulating the spacing of each cable course, closely to one another, without bunching.

Another object of `the invention is to provide improved means of the type mentioned in that it is universal and may be used with cables of different diameters and, also, with drums of diierent diameters.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specification, the drawings relating thereto, and from the claims hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, in which like numerals are used to designate like parts in the several vviews throughout:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a truck having a winch embodying the features of the present invention mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear parts in cross-section of and taken substantially Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a modified form of hydraulic circuit for the structure disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2; and' Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the control and relief valve employed in the circuit of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, and referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2 thereof, an automotive truck is generally indicated at I0 having a power which generally indicated at I2 mounted thereon. Such power winch in general is of conventional construction and includes a standard I4 having upstanding mounting brackets I6 thereon. A drive shaft I8 is mounted upon suitable-bearings within the brackets I6. A speed reducer drive mechanism 20 is also mounted upon the standard I4 and is operatively connected the winch construction along the line 2-2 of train of gears 22 which may be operatively connected to a power take-off of the automotive engine through a drive shaft indicated at 24. Control -means in the form of a lever 26 may be mounted within the cab for controlling'the power take-olf so thatr the speed reducer means 20 may be driven as desired It will be readily appreciated that while the winch is here illustrated as being mounted on a Vvehicle chassis, the present invention is not limited thereto; but the winch could be mounted on i aseparate standard having its own power plant, or could be otherwise driven.

A winding drum in keyed to shaft I8 for rotation therewith and another spool 30 may also be keyed to one 'endof the shaft I8 for rotation therewith if desired.

A cable 32 is connected to the drum 28 and isv wound thereon upon rotation of drive shaft I8 in the usual Way. The structure so far described is of conventional nature.

According to the present invention, a level winder is provided for guiding the cable 32 as it is wound upon the drum so that such` cable will be evenly distributed along the length of the drum and in superimposed even convolutions. Such level winding means includes an upstanding arm 34 having a movable guide eye 36 for receiving the cable 32 therethrough. Such guide elevational view with to the drive shaft in the usual way. Such speed reducer mechanism receives its power from a eye 36 is formed with an integral depending stem or rod 31 which is slidably received through alignedopenings in lugs 39 formed on the arm 34. The rod 3l has an enlarged lower end.4I, and a spiral compression spring 43 embraces the lower end of the rod with its ends abuttingagainst the enlargement 4I and the lower lug 39. The eye 36 is thus rigid against lateral movement but is resiliently movable outwardly. The. arm 34 is ixedly secured to a transversely extending rack 40 which is slidably mounted within bearings 42 mounted on the standard I4. The rack 40 is reciprocated and as it is reciprocated it will be evident that the cable 32 is guided on to the drum drum between the ends I The rack 40 meshes thereof. with a pinion 44 which is flxedly connected to a drive shaft 46 of a fluid motor 48. The fluid motor 48 may be one of any number of standard fluid motors now on the market, but is illustrated as being of the gear type having meshing gears 50 and 52 mounted within the housing of the motor. The gear 50 is keyed to the drive shaft 46 for driving the pinion 44 and the gear 52 is mounted upon an idler shaft in the usual way. Inlet and outlet ports are provided through the housing in the usual way; and in the present instance 4the motor is reversib le so that each of such ports alternately forms an inlet and outlet port for hydraulic fluid supplied the motor.

to rotate the drive shaft I8.

the form of a spool -28 is In order to drive the iiuid motor 88. to reciprocate the arm 8d, an hydraulic pump 56, which may be one of a number of standard pumps now on the market but is here illustrated as of the gear type, is provided. Such pump includes the usual pair of intermeshing gears 58, one of which is keyed to a drive shaft 58 for driving the pump. The drive shaft 88 is directly connected to the winch drive shaft I8 so that upon rotation of such shaft the pump 58 is driven.

The hydraulic circuit for supplying the fluid to the pump 58 for driving fluid motor 88 is reversible and, includes a supply tank or reservoir 80 having a conduit 82 leading into the inlet of pump Si.' An outlet conduit 84 leads from the discharge or high pressure side of the pump 84 and communicates with a four-way reversing valve 88 through a central port 88. The reversing valve 88 has a spool 10 slidably disposed therein which is formed with outwardlyand upwardly projecting end portions 12.' Such portions-12 provide the means for shifting the valve to re verse the flow of fluid through the circuit when such end portions are engaged by stops 14. Such stops 14 are connected to or formed integral with the rack 40 so that as the rack reaches the end of its travel in either direction, it shifts the valve to reverse the flow of fluid through the hydraulic circuit.

The valve 88 is provided with ports 18, 18, 80, and 82 therethrough. Ports 18 and 80 have conduits 84 and 88, respectively, communicating therewith, and both of such conduits communicate with a return v,conduit 88 which returnsto and communicates with tank |50.v Ports 1,8 and `82 have conduits 90 and92, respectively, communicating therewith, and the opposite ends of such conduits communicate with the ports lead- -ing into the fluid motor 48. As stated above,

such last mentioned ports each alternately provide the inlet and outlet ports for the fluid motor port 18, out of valve 88 through port 80, in toconduit 86 and returns to the tank through conduit 88. At this time, the port 18 is 'covered as shown.

When the rack 40 reaches the end ofits travel toward the left, as indicated in Fig. 2, one of the stops 14 strikes one of the arms 12 to shift .the spool by moving it toward the left. The

then enters through portilud under pressure 88 and passes out of the valve through port 18 into conduit 90 to drive the fluid motor in the opposite direction and to move the rack and arm in the opposite direction, that is, toward the right viewing Fig. 2. The fluid from the motor 48 is conducted through conduit 92 into valve 88 through port 82 and leaves the valve 88 through port 16 into conduit 84 and returns to the tank through conduit 88. With the valve in this position, the port 80 is closed by the spool.

It will thus be seen that as the drum 28 is rotated, the arm 34 is synchronously moved therewith since the pump 54 is driven from shaft I8. The speed of the arm is automatically set delivered to the distributing and rewith .the speed of the drum since the speed of the drum and the speed of the pump 54 are directly proportionate to each other.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, a modified hydraulic circuit is illustrated in which the speed of travel of the rack 4|! may be adjustably varied in order to compensate for different cable diameters and/or diierent drum diameters. The -spacing of each of the cable courses may be closely regulated without any danger of bunching the adjacent convolutions over each other. With this circuit, a standard drive -means for the level Winder may be provided which may be universally appliedto Winches having drums of different diameters orhaving cables of different diameters. Corresponding parts of the structure described above in connection with Figlures l and 2 have been given corresponding numerals in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Referring to these figures, the oil is drawn from the reservoir through a supply conduit 82 by reason of the actuation of pump 54. Liquid under pressure is then conducted through conduit 84 into a chamber 94 over the combined ow control and relief valve, generally 'indicated at 98. Such valve 98 is of a standard construction and forms no part of the present invention per se, except in the combination In order to maintain a constant flow through 'the orifice valve 88 so that the flow rate from the chamber 94 to conduit |0| will be constant, a piston |02 is provided, the lower part of which defines an upper wall of the chamber 94 and the upper part of which denes the lower wall of chamber |04. A small relief o'r guide chamber |08 is formed in the casing above the piston |02, and an exhaust valve is provided at the lower end of the piston comprising a valve set |08 and a. tapered valve member ||0. of the piston |02 is preferably hollow. The area of the valve ||0'below the piston |02 is substantially balanced by a guide |'|'2 which projects into the chamber |08. The effective size ofthe orifice valve 98, and hencethe volume of liquid passing therethrough, is controlled by means of an adjustable lever ||4 which is fixed to the valve 98 for adjustably controlling the pOsition thereof.

Direct application of the liquid under pressure from the combined flow control and relief valve is by means of the four-way valve 88, having the piston and ports arranged as in the embodiment described above.

A relatively restricted conduit H8 connects the operating pressure in the conduit |0| with the chamber |04 above the piston |02. Relative The center the position of the valve element 98. In thisv way, this construction may be readily adapted to take care of the desired speeds with cables and/or drums of different diameters.

Also, while in the embodiment specifically illustrated the guide arm 34 is reciprocated by the rack and pinion construction, it is to be understood that such arm may be otherwise hydraulically reciprocated, such as by a reciprocating piston connection which could be substituted for the'fluid motor 48 and the rack and pinion.

Formal changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention illustrated and described without departing from the spirit and substance of the invention', the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A power winch construction comprising, in combination, a drum having a cable wound therearound, driving means for rotating said drum and including a drive shaft, a reciprocable guide arm having a cable'receiving guide portion and movable longitudinally of said drum between. the ends thereof, and power means for reciprocating said arm, said power means including a reciprocating rack connected to said arm, a pinion in mesh with said rack, a reversible uid motor operatively connected to said pinion to drive the same, and means to reversibly drive said fluid motor in synchronism with rotation of said drum to cause said arm to reciprocate therealong.

2. A power winch construction comprising, in combination, a drum having a cable wound therearound, driving meansfor rotating said drum and including a drive shaft, a reciprocable guide arm having a cable receiving guide portion and movable longitudinally of said drum between the ends thereof, and power means for reciprocating said arm, said power means-including a reciprocating rack connected to said arm, a pinion in mesh with said rack, a reversible fluid mtor operatively connected to said pinion'to drive the same, and means operatively connectedto said drive shaft to reversibly drive said fluid motherearound, driving means for rotating said drum and including a drive shaft, a lreciprocable guide arm having a cable receiving guide portion and movable longitudinally of said drum between the ends thereof, and power means for reciprocating said arm, said power means including a reciprocating rack connected to said arm, a pinion in mesh with said rack, a reversible iiuid mo toroperatively connected tov said pinion to drive the same, a pump operatively connected to said drive shaft and driven thereby, and means providing a reversible hydraulic circuit betweensaid pump and motor to reversibly drive said motor in 'synchronism with rotation of said drum to cause said arm to reciprocate therealong.

5. A power winch construction, comprising, in combination, a drum having a cable wound therearound, driving means for rotating said drum and including a driveshaft, a reciprocable guide arm having a cable receiving guide portion and movable longitudinally of said drum between the ends thereof, and power means for reciprocating said arm, said power means including a reciprocating rack connected to said arm, a pinion in mesh with said rack, a reversible fluid motor operatively connected tosaid pinion to drive the same, a pump operatively connected to saidl drive shaft and driven thereby, means including a reversing'valve providing. a reversible hydraulic circuit between said pump and motor to reversibly drive said motor, and means operatively connecting said valve with said rack to reverse said valve upon reciprocation of said rack.

6. A power winch construction comprising, in combination, a drum having a cable wound therearound, driving means for rotating said drum and including a drive shaft, a reciprocable tor in synchronism with rotation of said drum to cause said arm to reciprocate therealong.

3. A power winch construction comprising, in combination, a drum having a cable wound therearound, -driving means for rotating said drum and including a drive shaft, a reciprocable guide arm having a cable receiving guide portion and movable longitudinally of said drum between the ends thereof, and power means for reciprocating said arm, said power means includinga reciprocating rack connected to said arm, a pinion in mesh with said rack, a lreversible fluid motor operatively connected to said pinion to drive the same, and hydraulic means operatively connected to said drive shaft to reversibly drive said fluid motor in synchronism with rotation of said drum to cause said arm to reciprocate therealong.

4. A power winch construction, comprising, in combination, a drum having a cable wound guide'arm having a cable receiving guide portion and movable longitudinally of said drum between the ends thereof, and power means for reciprocating said arm, said power means including a` reciprocating element connected to said arm, a pump operatively connected to said drive shaft and driven thereby, hydraulic means including a reversible valve providing a reversible hydraulic circuit between said pump and element to reversibly drive said element, and means interposed in said circuit to control the volume of fluid flowing therethrough while said pump may have a constant discharge, and means operatively connecting said valve with said reciprocating element to reverse said valve upon reciprocation of said element.

7. A power Winch construction comprising, in combination, a drum having a cable wound therearound, driving. means for rotating said drum and including a drive shaft, a reciprocable guide arm having a cable receiving guide portion and movable longitudinally of said drumbetween the ends thereof, and power means for reciprocating said arm, said power means including a reciprocating element connected to said arm, a.

pump operatively connected to said drive shaft and driven thereby, adjustable hydraulic means including a reversible valve providing a reversible hydraulic circuit between said pump and element to reversibly drive said element, and means interposed in -said circuit to control the volume of 

